Dark Haven
by Faith-chan
Summary: After the events of the season finale, Nathan and Audrey are trying to cope with a world turned upsidedown; but there are people in Haven who will use any means necessary to hurt them, to make them go away... Rated for swearing and a mature theme.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I've been going through Haven withdrawl waiting for the new season to start, so I finally put on paper one of the evil little plots that was floating around in my head. This story IS completely written, but I'm still finishing the proofing and editing, as I have no beta, so chapters 2 and 3 will be up by the weekend, I figure.**

**Disclaimer: As ever, I own nothing, not Haven or it's recognizable characters. I just like to play with them, please don't sue me. **

Dark Haven

Reverend Ed Driscoll sat back in his desk chair in the back room of his church. He examined the 40-something man seated across from him through slightly narrowed eyes. Dark hair, dark eyes, several days worth of beard growth on his face, and an overall disheveled appearance - the man looked every inch the thug he was. And that was what the Rev needed. THIS was the man the Rev needed. He took a moment to remind himself that there were times that the ends justify the means.

"We've recently had someone come back to town, someone who is making things difficult," the Rev said, keeping his tone measured and cool. "We want you to make her want to go away."

"So how much do I get paid for this little job?" Darren Locke asked, putting his dirty boots up on the edge of Driscoll's desk and lacing his fingers behind his head, a smirk settling on his features. "If I'm gonna risk getting sent back to jail as soon as I've made parole, it's gotta be worth my while ." The Revs' eyes were drawn to the round tattoo on the inside of the man's' forearm before fixing him with a dark gaze all his own.

"No payment, at least not money," the Rev began, and the man snorted and moved as if to get up and leave, "But generous compensation. You'll make yourself some powerful friends who will owe you a favor." Locke paused, but his feet were now firmly on the floor, hands pushing himself out of his chair. "And the job itself has its own rewards. You'll get revenge on Nathan Wuornos for one." Locke's eyes narrowed and searched Driscoll's face for a moment before settling back in his seat. The Rev smirked and leaned slightly forward. "It's been what, almost 10 years since he sent you away? Tell me you don't want to pay him back the pain he's due?" Darren barked out a laugh.

"I'd love to, too bad he can't feel any of it." Driscoll's eyes grew dark.

"You'd be surprised."

* * *

><p>Audrey Parker watched her partner scrub a hand across his face and through his hair. Sometimes she wondered if he put thought into little actions like those, to blend in and seem more normal; like when she'd seen him scratch at his neck, though she knew he felt no itch to prompt the movement. Or if they're reflexes he has from those years before the Troubles stole his sense of touch; automatic movements that he may literally be completely unaware he does. Her hunch is that it's the latter. When Nathan Wuornos looked up from the file in front of him and found her looking at him intently, she quickly shifted her train of thought back to business.<p>

"So I take it nothing helpful in that one either?" she asked.

"Depends how you define helpful. If I wanted to learn more about Haven's offshore marine life, I'd be ahead of the game; but as it pertains to the case, not so much." Nathan exhaled heavily and let his head fall forward onto his crossed arms on the desk.

"It's late, we should head out and come back fresh," Audrey said, stretching her upper body and sighing as she felt her vertebrae pop back to their appropriate positions. "And if I sit any longer, my pants might fuse to the chair." Nathan looked up at that and kept his face straight as he considered her.

"I've got good scissors over here, to cut you out of them, if necessary." He ducked the pencil that flew towards his head. Nathan was thankful for the teasing banter, and he knew Audrey was too. The two of them had been doing their best to keep work and life between them as _normal_ as possible, since the events of the past few weeks.

Audrey and Nathan had both found themselves questioning not only everything around them, but also who they really were. Though everything with the Other Audrey had been kept as quiet as possible, the fallout had shaken Audrey deeply. Nathan had seen in her eyes that part of her wanted to run far and run fast; but she had stayed. And Nathan hadn't even been able to have a proper funeral for the Chief, who was his dad, but not his father… The only thing harder than that was when he and Audrey had gone to Max Hansen's funeral…

As Nathan stood to gather his jacket, he heard the telltale bickering that preceded the Teagues brothers everywhere they went. Sure enough, a moment later, Audrey quirked an eyebrow.

"What are Vince and Dave doing here?" she wondered.

"Maybe they want to do another portrait of you." Audrey shot him a half-hearted dirty look as the brothers rounded the corner.

"Oh thank goodness!" Vince exclaimed as his gaze locked on to the two detectives standing at the door to their office.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Audrey asked. The men seemed worked up, but with Vince and Dave, that never really indicated anything in particular.

"Well, we just thought that we should tell you something," Dave began.

"You mean _I_ thought we should tell him," Vince added.

"See, I was walking down Green Street earlier today…"

"I still don't know why you take that route; it's at least five minutes longer…"

"Yes, well it's good that I did, or else I wouldn't have seen him!"

"But you still wouldn't have said anything if I hadn't…"

"GUYS!" Nathan yelled, cutting them both off. "You STILL haven't said much of anything. Who did you see?" Dave took a deep breath, his eyes flicking back and forth between the three others around him.

"Darren Locke."

"Who's Darren Locke?" Audrey asked, taking in the suddenly stony set of Nathan's jaw.

"Bad news. All right, Vince, Dave. Thanks for the heads up." The brothers nodded and turned to leave, snippets of their whispered conversation trailing them till the door closed behind them.

When Nathan silently grabbed his jacket, Audrey followed suit. She'd seen him in this mode before, and she figured that since he hadn't immediately gone to his desk or to get any files, he was on his way to go DO something about this apparently disturbing news. Trying to ask about it when his already long strides were at 'determined' pace only ever led to half-winded conversations, so she decided to wait and get the info out of him once they were in the Bronco.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they pulled away from the station.

"The Gull." When no further information seemed to be forthcoming, Audrey sighed.

"Okay, enough of the Captain Monosyllable routine. Are you going to tell me who this guy is, or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" Nathan glanced over at his partner, and the glint in her eye cracked through his defenses once again, and he softened ever so slightly.

"Darren Locke is a rapist I arrested about… ten or eleven years ago. For a year, everyone in Haven, especially the women, lived in fear. This is a small town, and by the time I got him, he'd attacked a dozen women. Everyone knew at least one of the victims." He couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. Audrey was quiet for a moment, absorbing the information.

"How many did you know?" she asked quietly.

"Personally? Only one. But I interviewed them all, half of them while they were in the hospital. And each time I could see it in their eyes, that if I had caught the bastard already, this wouldn't have happened to them."

"Nathan – ," Audrey was about to argue that it wasn't his fault, but he knew what she was thinking, and cut her off.

"Either way, if he's back in Haven, everyone needs to know. Fastest way to get the word out is have Duke and his bartenders spread the word on a busy Friday night. By tomorrow morning, everyone in town will know to be on their guard." Audrey nodded silent agreement.

Since Nathan had told her that he could feel her touch, she'd taken to using contact to emphasize important points. She found he never failed to stop and look at her when she did. So now, as they pulled up to The Gray Gull and Nathan threw the car into park, Audrey reached over and grabbed his hand. He turned and met her gaze.

"It's going to be okay. You and me? We are not gonna let this guy hurt anyone." A ghost of a smile crossed his face, but didn't make it to his eyes.

"Let's go."

They made their way inside and navigated through the crowd until they got to the bar, where Duke Crocker was having a loud, animated conversation with several of his patrons. He spied Audrey and Nathan approaching, and greeted them with a very loud "Well hello there officers!"

"Hey Duke," Audrey said, "Can we have a minute? This isn't a social call." Duke's tone remained light, though his expression became guarded, especially when he noticed the coldness in Nathan's eyes.

"Well I certainly hope that you're not going to start threatening to arrest me again, especially since I haven't done anything wrong…"

"Not about you Duke, we just need your help, and it won't take a lot of effort on your part," Audrey soothed as best she could. Even after she'd spoken to him the other week, shared her discoveries about Lucy, she still felt that Duke's behavior had been off lately; but she didn't have time to deal with it right now. She made a mental note to check in with him when more pressing matters weren't more pressing.

The three of them came around towards the kitchen. Nathan locked eyes with Duke and simply said "Darren Locke is back in town."

"Shit, since when?"

"He was seen earlier today, that's all I know. Just spread the word, tell your bartenders to do the same. Don't let the ladies walk to their cars alone, and don't let the really drunk ones walk out with only one friend."

"Hey, I'll do my best, but I can't watch everyone in here." Nathan didn't say anything, just kept his cold eyes on Duke. "I said, I'll do my best. Natalie was my friend too, Nate. I don't want that sonofabitch anywhere around here, don't want…" but Nathan had already started to walk away, badge out, presumably to start talking to the patrons who were still sober enough to understand.

"Who's Natalie?" Audrey asked. Duke looked back and forth between Parker and Nathan's retreating back for a moment, weighing his response. "She was one of the victims, I'm guessing?"

"Yea. Natalie Shaw. She was one of the last few who were attacked. She went to high school with me and Nathan, he dated her for a while. When she got attacked, I got the impression that Nathan thought that Locke had gone after her on purpose, to get at him. Of course, Nathan and I were decidedly NOT speaking at that time, so that's third-hand information." Audrey drew a deep breath.

"Thanks Duke." She turned to find Nathan, but stopped and turned back to the smuggler. "Look, I know we've all been busy lately, but I want to talk to you when things aren't so crazy." He gave a tired smile.

"This is Haven. Things are always crazy."

"Fair enough. Less dangerously crazy." He nodded and watched her walk away through the crowd. Shaking his head, he went over to give his bartenders the news about Darren Locke.

* * *

><p>When Audrey and Nathan finally pulled out of the parking lot of The Gray Gull, it was close to midnight, and Audrey tried to stifle her third yawn in ten minutes. "I cannot wait to get some sleep," she muttered as she stretched her arms.<p>

"Speaking of which… I want you to spend the night at my place tonight, Parker." Suddenly, Audrey was wide awake.

"Excuse me?" she asked, completely thrown for a loop. For a moment, Nathan sputtered before regaining his composure.

"No, nothing like – I have a guest room, and you don't at your place, and I just don't want you alone tonight, with Locke around." Audrey felt warm inside that he was so concerned, but couldn't hold back a small laugh either.

"I think I'll be fine on my own. I'm armed and dangerous, you know." Nathan didn't seem convinced.

"I assume Duke told you about Natalie."

"He told me that you and she dated in high school, and that years later she was one of Locke's victims." Nathans eyes remain fixed on the road.

"When I spoke to her at the hospital, she told me that the only thing he'd said to her was 'Say hi to your boyfriend for me'."

"Shit. But still…"

"She wasn't dating anyone at the time she was attacked. It was common knowledge that I was on the case. Look, I'm not going to argue this point; he's already hurt one person because he wanted to taunt me, and I'll be damned if I let it happen to you." Audrey was struck silent for a moment. The weight that Nathan carried from this case was starting to feel heavy to her as well as her heart went out to her partner. But she was still not big on Nathan's plan.

"How about this," she said after a few more moments of thought. "You drop me off at my place, you can come in and clear it if it makes you feel better, make sure all the windows are locked, and I'll bolt the door behind you when you go." Nathan considered her idea in silence, and when he took the left towards the bed and breakfast, Audrey knew he'd relented.

As they walked up to her door, Audrey was only half surprised that he'd actually insisted on checking inside. This Locke had really gotten under Nathan's skin; but as Audrey was learning, when you were a cop in a small town, most cases were at least a little personal… and there were some that went above and beyond. As Nathan stalked around her space, checking that each window locked securely, Audrey actually started to feel uneasy; but she shoved the feeling aside, determined that this man she'd never met was not going to dictate how she felt. As it looked like Nathan was about to start double checking the windows again, Audrey sighed and grabbed him by the arm and steered him to sit on the edge of her bed. When she looked in his eyes this time, they had lost much of their ice, but the haunted look that replaced it bothered her even more.

"This guy really got to you, didn't he?" she asked softly. Nathan broke the gaze and exhaled heavily.

"I wasn't the only cop working the case, but I was in charge of interviewing the victims. I had to make them relive everything, in the hopes that it would help catch the bastard… and then a few weeks later, do it all over again with the next victim. Some of them he'd beaten so badly that it took months for their injuries to heal. I think one woman has a permanent limp because her cut her leg so deeply. And then with Natalie…" he trailed off, unwilling or unable to complete the thought.

"What happened?" Nathan tried to tell her, tried to get the words out, but they stuck in his throat. How badly Natalie had been beaten up, the tears streaked down her face, the way she couldn't look him in the eye. When Audrey just kept waiting for him to answer, he stared at the floor and settled for fragmented sentences, half thoughts and images that, though over a decade old, were as vivid and nauseating as they were on day one. As he described how broken Natalie's voice had been, the blood that had been everywhere, the weight of responsibility that he had felt crushing his insides, the term 'vicarious trauma' flitted through Audrey's awareness, from some psych class she had taken at some point. As he told her how Natalie had been so terrified, so ashamed, that she had up and left Haven two months after the attack and had never come back, she felt frustration rolling off of him in waves. When it became apparent he had no more words, Audrey laid her hand on the side of his face and turned his head so he was facing her. For Nathan, the warmth of her touch pulled him back to the present, and he let his world narrow down to that patch of skin.

"So what happened when you finally caught him?" At that, Nathan actually gave a half smile that almost made it to his eyes.

"I tracked him down to an old storehouse by the harbor. Backup was on the way, and I went in to get him. He broke my arm with a 2x4. I still remember the look on his face when it didn't slow me down. Though, it did make cuffing him awkward. So I had to _really _kneel on the back of his neck to make sure he didn't squirm free." Audrey nodded, her thumb absently stroking Nathan's cheek. There was a moment of silence, then Nathan stood quickly, clearing his throat. "I'll let you get some rest." Audrey stood as well, following him to the door.

"Ok. Good night, Nathan."

"I'll see you in the morning, Parker. Close all your blinds, I don't want anyone looking in. And you had better bolt this door, and don't open it till I'm knocking." Audrey sighed and shook her head.

"You know there's not much we can do at this point with all this. Even if he's standing right outside the police station in the morning, we can't just arrest him."

"I know. But at least we can get pancakes." Audrey smiled; THERE was the Nathan who'd been MIA since the name Darren Locke had come out of Dave's mouth. She didn't even think before her arms were around his neck and it felt as though she were trying to send him peace of mind through osmosis. Maybe even absorb a little comfort for herself as well. A heartbeat later, he was hugging her back, and then the moment passed and they were backing away from each other. Nathan smiled at her, and this time it really did reach his eyes. He turned and walked back to his truck as Audrey closed her door and latched the bolt.

Though Nathan was distracted by the jumble of warm thoughts and sensations that had flooded through him – Audrey's cheek pressed next to his, his arms around her waist – he couldn't have noticed the dark shape nearby. Though Audrey had let her guard down more than she ever felt comfortable doing, because it was just _NATHAN, _even her honed senses and instincts would have missed the barest rustle of movement. Neither of them could have seen the dark eyes watching them from the brush opposite the parking lot.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed! Feeding the ego is always good (and concrit is always welcome). I have one more chapter after this one, which will be up before the weekend. **

* * *

><p>It was just before 8:30, the morning was overcast and there was a light mist of rain in the air as Nathan pulled back up to the bed and breakfast. He saw Parker's blinds twitch as he got out of the truck, and he figured that she'd heard the Bronco pull up. He'd only taken two steps when he heard the gravel crunch behind him, and his jumpy nerves had him spinning on his heel to see who was there. His brain hardly had a moment to process the recognition of wicked eyes and greasy hair before the tazer darts were in his chest and his muscles betrayed him. He collapsed to the ground, not feeling the impact, but the panic in his chest threatening to choke him. His brain screamed at his arms and legs to move, but nothing happened. He tried to call out, to warn Audrey, but the connection between his brain and body was simply not functional. From the corner of his eye, he saw Darren Locke take Nathan's own sidearm from its holster and the cuffs from the back of his belt. He watched, a helpless spectator, as Locke cuffed his wrists behind his back. The dissociative feeling of watching the events unfolding but not being able to feel or do anything about them, combined with the brain-addling effect of the tazer, for a moment made Nathan wonder if this wasn't all just a nightmare. But knowing that Audrey was so close by, was in so much danger, cut through the haze, and Nathan was almost able to roll over. Then the butt of his gun hit him at the base of his skull. He didn't feel it of course, just watched the world go black at the edges then disappear.<p>

Audrey had, in fact, heard the Bronco pull up, glanced out the blinds to see the nose of the blue vehicle in the parking lot, and had gone to get her shoes on and get the rest of her gear together. As she fastened her watch, she wondered for a moment what was taking Nathan so long, wondering if Laverne had called him for some thing or another, when she heard the knock at her door. She'd figured Nathan would get frustrated if he didn't HEAR her unbolt the door, so she checked herself for phone, gun, badge one last time, turned the bolt and opened the door, the words 'Good Morning!' on the tip of her tongue.

The man outside the door was a good decade older than Nathan, three inches shorter, and a lot broader across the shoulders. A smile that spoke of nothing good spread across his features, lighting up his eyes with something that had Audrey stepping backwards, her hand going for her gun. But the moment it had taken her to process that this was NOT Nathan, this had to be Darren Locke, was enough to give him the advantage. He didn't hesitate, stepped forward, and struck her in the throat and the nose, in quick succession. The strikes were controlled, precise: enough to strangle her voice and keep her from calling out, enough to cloud her vision with uncontrollable tears; but not enough to kill her, or even break her nose. She felt the warm wetness of blood streaming past her mouth and down her chin. Somewhere in the back of her brain, she muttered curses that her white blouse was going to be ruined.

Though she'd stumbled backwards when he struck her, she hadn't lost her footing, and her hand was on her gun, drawing it from the holster. Then he was kicking it from her hand, at least she thought it was a kick, her vision was still obscured by the water in her eyes. Though her body moved automatically in defensive maneuvers, Audrey knew she'd been in trouble as soon as he'd struck first. Her vision grayed as she took what she figured must be an elbow to her temple and she felt her knees give out from under her. Her vision cleared for just a moment, long enough for her to see the feral grin on Locke's face, long enough for her to feel her chest clench as the thought of 'What happened to Nathan?' shot through her mind before she saw the pistol-whip coming and the world went white, then dark.

* * *

><p>Nathan was lost in a haze. Somehow, he was at Max Hansen's funeral, though it had been weeks ago. 'Friends in Haven,' the idea was haunting, so Nathan and Parker had gone to the funeral to see if any of those friends would turn up. They didn't. No one did. He and Parker were standing well away from the grave site as the Rev eulogized the murderer, Nathan's fathernot father, to a row of empty chairs, speaking loud enough to ensure that the two cops could hear every syllable. Nathan felt sick, his stomach churning with bile, though his face had stayed neutral, his eyes alert for any clues.

But that couldn't be right, his eyes were closed, his head was swimming. The nausea was still there, though.

For a moment, it looked as though the Rev was actually going to try and come speak to them, but he'd thought better of it. Audrey was saying his name, trying to bring him back to reality, bring him back to the present, so he turned to look at her. But he couldn't see because his eyes were closed, why were his eyes closed? Why were they so damn heavy, so damn hard to open? Why did Audrey sound so upset?

"Where's Nathan!"

"Mmright here," he mumbled, but it sounded wrong. Now his eyes were opening, and everything was wrong, and it all came back to him in a rush. "Parker? Audrey! Where are you?" They weren't at Max Hansen's funeral; they were in a building, big and open, with a very high ceiling. The smell of dead fish and low tide hit Nathan in the face and he tried to stand and search for Audrey. He was stopped short, and when he looked to see why, he saw his hands were secured behind his back, around a support pole that went up to the ceiling. Now movement drew his attention, as less than ten feet away, a dirty sheet hung over a rope was pulled down to reveal Darren Locke standing by Audrey. Her hands were above her head, it looked like they were tied to a crane hook. Her face and shirt were covered in blood, some of it still bright red, and there were darker clots matting her blonde hair.

"Nathan! Are you ok?" His mouth was dry; was she insane? SHE was the one in danger!

"Nice of you to join us, Detective. I thought you were gonna sleep through all the fun!" Locke had a knife out and was passing it from hand to hand, occasionally twirling it with his fingers or a flick of his wrist. The fear and rage inside Nathan threatened to overwhelm him, but he was able to lock eyes with Audrey for a moment, and the boiling emotions settled down to a simmer as a wave of calm washed over him. Audrey was THERE, and he was going to get her out.

Audrey, for her part, had been battling panic of her own until she'd heard Nathan's voice calling out. Though Locke had SAID her partner was alive, and he'd bothered to keep him handcuffed (which one did not usually do with corpses), she had not been truly reassured till she looked in his eyes. There might not be backup on the way, but she wasn't alone, and neither was he, and they were going to stop this bastard then go out for fucking pancakes afterwards.

The glint of Locke's knife brought her back to the present, and she tested her bonds for the fourth or fifth time, still finding no give. The hook above her head had a latch over the opening, so she'd need another set of hands to get over that. She had enough slack that her elbows were bent, her breathing not impaired; but Locke was standing behind her, and any kicks she threw would be mostly blind and lacking in sufficient power to neutralize him as a threat long enough for her to get free. She had a small margin of pivot room, but she would save that for when she could see a better opening. Her thoughts fought to remain tactical; to NOT think about what she knew was coming. But this, she didn't know how to balance. She didn't know how to stay detached enough to not panic as big, dirty hands came around from behind her to grab her blouse where it buttoned and rip it open, sending buttons off with little pings as they struck their distant targets; while remaining present enough to see an opportunity to break free if it became available. When the blade of the knife came up, cold, between her skin and the material holding the cups of her bra together, she held her breath.

Nathan wanted to scream, but didn't dare make a noise as the blade touched Audrey's skin. He pulled silently against the restraints, but knew all it was doing was rubbing his wrists raw. '_Stop and THINK, Wuornos,_' he chided himself '_If you don't think, you're no use to anyone._' Locke pulled the knife away from Audrey's skin in one smooth slice, cutting her bra in two. Now that the blade was away from her skin, Nathan felt it safe enough to make a little noise, and the metallic chink from behind him told him that it was definitely handcuffs restraining him. He guessed there was some slack, as he had enough space to move his arms a bit; but not a lot. He hoped it was enough, or he was going to get an earful from at least three different people for nothing, as he grabbed his left thumb in his right hand and pulled, hard.

Reality was bursting through Audrey's wall of detached tactical thinking as rough hands went to work on her pants. She found her body had stopped caring about tactical advantages and just wanted to GET AWAY NOW, as she tried to kick and head-butt her assailant with minimal results. She did manage to stomp on his foot, which had him pulling away with an angry snarl for a moment before rough hands were on her skin again. She looked towards Nathan and saw his shoulders moving in that way that only someone trying to get out of restraints will move. His eyes were aimed blankly towards the floor, and she wasn't sure if she was glad he was focused on trying to get free, or lost without that contact to ground her. As she felt her pants being shoved down around her calves, a wave of nausea washed over her and she just prayed that whatever Nathan was trying would work, and soon. In the meantime, she had one last thing to try.

When Audrey grabbed onto the hook above her head and used the little maneuvering slack she had to bring both her legs up, plant them in his stomach, and push him away as hard as she could, Darren Locke was only moderately surprised. He'd seen the move before, and it only ever bought a few moments. But when, in that moment where he was off balance, the lanky shape of Nathan Wuornos came rushing towards him, moderate surprise turned to full-fledged shock.

Nathan was acting more than thinking as he charged forward, knocking Locke to the ground, punching him square in the face. His fist came back bloody, and he wasn't sure if it was his own blood or Locke's; and either way, he didn't care. The rage boiled inside him, and he drew back his arm and hit Locke in the temple, and watched as Locke's eyes rolled up in their sockets and his head fell back limp. Nathan's arm was poised to strike again, but when Locke remained still, he forced himself to untangle his fingers from the front of the other man's shirt, stand up, and back away. Nathan didn't take his eyes off of Locke as he stooped to pick up the knife that had dropped when Nathan had tackled him, or as he fished on his belt for the keys to the handcuffs still dangling from his right wrist. Distantly, Nathan could hear Audrey breathing hard, but she was otherwise silent. His stomach clenched, but he had to make sure Locke was secure before he could risk turning his back to cut his partner down. He removed the cuffs from himself and proceeded to secure Locke to a support pole, as Nathan himself had been just minutes before. Slowly, the rushing white noise in his ears, which he hadn't even realized was there, began to die down; and his ragged, deep breaths began to even out. He was finally able to drag his eyes away from Locke and turn his attention to Audrey; and once again, he felt sick.

She was half-hanging, her white-knuckled grip on the rope that bound her wrists was the only thing supporting her upper body. Her shirt, bloody and torn, hung from her arms like so many rags. "Parker?" Nathan asked as he stepped towards her, a little surprised at how rough his voice sounded. "Parker, I'm gonna cut you down, okay?" Slowly, she lifted her head and looked at him. She didn't say anything, but nodded, putting more of her weight back on her feet. Nathan reached up to cut the ropes; but his hand brushed against hers, and he recoiled as fire shot up his whole arm.

"Holy shit!" he gasped. His reaction pulled Audrey back to reality, and she was finally able to really focus her eyes and take stock of her partner. Though he looked mostly fine, a thin trail of blood along the side of his face was all she noticed at first, when she looked at his hands, she gasped and echoed his words.

"Holy shit, Nathan!" His right hand was covered in blood, and she could see fresh, bright red stuff oozing out, so it wasn't all Locke's. His left thumb just looked... wrong. It was just not where a thumb was supposed to be. He took a deep breath and reached up again to cut her down, this time careful not to touch her. As Audrey's arms fell to her sides, she immediately gathered her pants back up and wrapped the tattered remains of her shirt around herself, but her eyes were on Nathan. "What the hell happened?"

Nathan was trying to fish in his pocket for his cell phone, but his fingers were just not up to cooperating with him, now that the Really Important Business had been attended to. He looked up at her, almost sheepishly. "I, uh, either dislocated or broke my thumb, to get out of the cuffs; not sure which. Pretty sure I also broke my right hand on Locke's face. Either way, I can't get my cell out of my pocket to call for backup..." he trailed off as she just stared at him with a mix of emotions he couldn't identify swimming across her features. She patted her own pockets, and was relieved to find her own phone still tucked neatly into the rear pocket of her pants. She placed the call requesting backup and an ambulance (or two, or three), frustrated that she couldn't hide the shakiness in her voice.

As she looked back at Nathan, she found him trying to shrug off the long-sleeve blue shirt he was wearing over his grey tee; but again, his fingers weren't cooperating with him on the task, so he had only succeeded in getting the garment down this elbows. Looking to her, he sighed in frustration.

"Here, take my shirt." She considered him for a moment.

"You realize there's no way I can get it off of you without touching both of your hands, right?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I DO worry about it, Nathan." She didn't want to touch him (hurt him), didn't want to touch anyone, didn't want anyone to touch her, didn't want anyone to be NEAR her… but she fought to calm her nerves. She'd wanted to run when she'd figured out that she WAS Lucy. She'd almost run when Other Audrey showed up. Now again, she just wanted to put her head down and run as far and as fast as she could… but again, there was Nathan standing there, as he always had. Solid and sure. Her one constant. They'd saved each other more times than she could count.

"Really, it's okay. As soon as you break contact, the sensation is gone again." She didn't look convinced, still clutching the tattered remains of her own shirt around herself. "Please, Audrey? Come on, if you don't take it, they're going to cut it off of me to treat my hands anyway, and I really like this shirt." She narrowed here eyes and peered into his face. She saw guilt and fear there; but no hesitation.

They had saved each other more times than either of them could count. Though she couldn't quite understand why, she felt like in this moment, they were doing it again.

She tried to unbutton his right shirt cuff without touching him, but it was an exercise in futility. He inhaled sharply as their skin made contact, and though he could generally only feel her directly at the point of contact, the pain itself radiated throughout his hand and up his arm. He held his breath while she pulled his shirt sleeve off his arm, exhaling only after the echoes of the pain had faded away.

"Yea, definitely broke SOMETHING in that hand," he muttered with a half smile.

"Nathan, I'm sorry-"

"No, don't worry about it. Besides, for once I'll actually be able to tell the doctors what's wrong, instead of them telling me what I broke, sprained, or otherwise damaged." She gave him a lingering look before he raised his left arm towards her. "Come on, I can hear the sirens. Remember, I REALLY don't want them cutting my shirt." Audrey rolled her eyes, and proceeded to unbutton his left cuff. He grunted and clenched his jaw until the moment passed and Audrey was holding his shirt in her hands.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were looking for the pain," she joked, turning to toss aside her own destroyed things and wrap herself in the warmth and comfort that Nathan had given her.

"Yea, well, maybe I deserve it," he murmured. She heard him, and was about to argue about it when four officers burst onto the scene, weapons at the ready. Locke was only just starting to stir, and two men that Audrey recognized, but couldn't begin to remember the names of, took him into custody.

"He'll need a trip to the hospital," Nathan told them, the dark glint in his eye well understood by the officers, who were all Haven natives. With the scene under control, Nathan and Audrey both felt the urge to get the hell out of that space, and they walked outside as the first ambulance was pulling up. By the time the EMT's were piling out of the vehicle, the other officers were bringing a very dazed and bloody-looking Locke outside.

Audrey looked at her watch. It was just past 9:30. "An hour," she murmured.

"What's an hour?" Nathan asked. Him and his damn super-hearing.

"An hour since you came to pick me up." He looked at her, almost disbelieving that so little – and so much – time had passed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: This is the last chapter, wrapping everything up and such. I think I've finally polished it enough, though there are still bits I wish I could have made bend to my will a bit more. Thanks again to all who have reviewed, so far! I do hope the last chapter didn't disappoint, and that this one gives a satisfactory ending. ^_^**

* * *

><p>There had been some debate between Nathan and Audrey about who would go in the first ambulance, till they agreed they both wanted Locke gone, so the officers escorted him to the hospital first. Then Nathan tried to insist that, if he HAD to go, he would drive himself, since Locke had parked Nathan's Bronco right outside; until Audrey pointed out that if his hands couldn't get a cell phone or work shirt buttons, he was sure as hell not driving a car. Finally, they agreed to ride together in the ambulance to the hospital, and Nathan asked one of the officers - Dan - to bring the Bronco up to the hospital.<p>

The ride to the hospital was quiet as Nathan and Audrey came crashing down off of the adrenaline and got lost in their own thoughts. When they arrived, they each got whisked off in different directions to have their injuries attended to.

The relative passage of time was always amazing to Audrey. Though she had spent very little time in the waiting room at the ER, the hour she spent sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor to come in felt infinitely longer than the entire ordeal that had made this visit necessary.

She explained to the nice doctor that she'd been assaulted, and that the blood had ruined her shirt, which is why her partner had loaned her his. She swapped the rest of her clothes for scrubs – for evidence collection purposes, not because she didn't want it touching her skin – but kept Nathan's shirt wrapped around herself over the scrub top. After more wasted time with tests and exams than seemed strictly necessary – not to mention all the photos of injuries they seemed to need, to document everything – the doctor confirmed that her nose was not broken, and that though her throat was bruised, not serious damage seemed to be done. The lump on the back of her head from the butt of a gun worried him, and he wanted her to admit her for observation; but she declined, citing that she wouldn't get any rest with all the monitors beeping. He gave her a very kindly concerned look as she signed out AMA.

Nathan was used to lectures from doctors and days lost on testing in hospitals by now. He pretended to listen as his hands got x-rayed. He was distant as they cleaned the blood off of him and taped and wrapped his right hand. He was unapologetic for his left thumb as it was wrestled back into place with very disapproving looks. The doctors knew it was pointless to try and admit him, but it didn't stop them from going through the motions and reminding him that being tazed and bashed over the head and knocked out WERE actually medically problematic events.

By the time he made it out to the parking lot and located his truck, he found Audrey sitting at the wheel, waiting for him. He could see she was wearing a teal blue scrub shirt, but she still had his own blue shirt on over it. Leaning in the open window, he saw she had scrub pants on as well.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked, keeping his face as straight as possible.

"Driving you home, what does it look like?"

"How long have you been sitting out here?"

"A while."

"Shouldn't you be staying? You had a hell of a lump on your head."

"Hi pot, I'm kettle. Get in the car. And don't even think of asking to drive." Nathan snapped his mouth shut and walked over to the passenger door, which Audrey leaned over and popped open for him.

"You know I CAN use my hands, even all wrapped up like this," he said. Audrey smirked as she started the truck and put in into gear.

"A show which I'm certain I will enjoy watching until your fingers decide they agree with that statement." They rode in silence for a few minutes before Nathan spotted a flaw in her plan.

"You know that I'm going to have to drive myself home from your place anyway, right?" Audrey was silent for a few more moments before responding.

"About that... You said last night that you have a guest room at your place, right?" Holy shit, had that really been just last night? Nathan nodded. "Well, would you be ok if I stayed there, with you, tonight?" He didn't have a chance to respond before she rushed ahead. "I'm not big on admitting when I'm scared or that I sometimes need other people; but this time... this time... I just think I'll sleep better knowing there's someone just in the other room. Someone I trust." She glanced over at him before finishing. "You." Nathan silently processed that information for a moment before his brain caught on that he should respond to her request.

"Yea. Yea, ok. You want to stop at your place and pick up a change of clothes first?"

As they pulled up the bed and breakfast and Audrey parked the truck, Nathan looked at her again. She looked very, very tired, though it wasn't much past 4:00.

"Come on, I'll help you." Her face lost some of its tiredness.

"Yea, I'm sure you'll really be able to lend me a hand," she quipped as she exited the truck. Nathan groaned.

"Come on, I'm injured as it is, do we need the bad puns too?" They approached the door, and without thinking Audrey opened it right up, as it was still unlocked.

The drops of blood around the floor marked where the fight had happened, and the larger spot where she had fallen. Her gun was off next to the bed, and she quickly stepped to retrieve it.

Nathan looked around. "You can change rooms," he said, noting the far-away look on her face. She nodded, and then moved to collect some clothes, stuffing them in a duffel bag she grabbed from under the bed.

"I'll probably have to, at least until after everything gets processed. Crime scene and all. Can you let Andy and Tom know to come do that? I probably should have told them earlier, at the storehouse, but –"

"Don't worry about it; I'll give them a call in a bit. We'll get everything sorted out. Right now, you just need to worry about getting some rest."

* * *

><p>Leaving the B&amp;B and making it to Nathan's place was a bit of a blur for Audrey, she went on autopilot. It was only as they were walking in his front door and her stomach growled loudly that she realized that she hadn't actually eaten anything today, and that Nathan probably hadn't either. He had the same thought as he walked into the kitchen, opened a drawer, and took out some takeout menus.<p>

"Pizza or Chinese?" he asked.

"Whatever will get here fastest."

"Pizza it is." Audrey was actually a little impressed at how well he was able to handle dialing the phone with his mummified hands, using speakerphone to place the order, and even putting the phone back on its cradle.

"You have a lot of practice with bandaged hands, huh?"

"You could say that." He sighed and collapsed onto his couch. Audrey sat down as well, kicked off her shoes, and pulled her knees up to her chest. They say in silence for a while, until Audrey remembered something she'd forgotten to do before.

"Thank you," she said, dragging Nathan out of his own thoughts. He gave a half smile.

"Any time. Though, let's not make a habit of this." Audrey gave a short laugh.

"No, let's not." She paused for a moment. "Back at the storehouse, you said something about deserving the pain." Nathan played dumb, not really wanting to have this conversation.

"Did I?"

"Yea, you did, stop playing dumb. Look, I know this guy really got to you; but none of what happened – back then or today – was your fault. You did everything a cop could do, and more. In fact, if any other cop had tracked Darren Locke to that storehouse and confronted him like you did, Locke would have gotten away. And today… not many people could do what you did to get out of those cuffs."

"So, what, because I'm Troubled, I get to be super-cop?"

"No, because you're you. It was more than the fact that you didn't feel the pain; you wouldn't let yourself be stopped. I know you, Nathan Wuornos, and even if you felt every bit of that broken arm, you still would have pushed through it to arrest Locke. I believe that today, you would have done everything the same, pain or no, because _not_ doing it would have been worse for you. It's part of who you are, part of your stubbornness, and while it can be maddening at times, it's also something I really respect about you." He shook his head, wanting to believe her, but not quite buying it.

"Well, I still feel like I should apologize. None of this would have happened if—" Audrey cut him off with a shake of her head and a wave of her hand, and he saw ager flash in her eyes.

"If what? If we weren't partners? If you hadn't been on his case a decade ago? How ridiculous does that sound? What if I hadn't decided to stay in Haven? You are not the deciding factor in everything that happens around here, including the actions of a criminal. In fact, Darren Lock is the ONLY one to blame for ANY of his crimes." Nathan knew, in his head, that she was right. He just couldn't convince that knot of guilt in his chest to listen to reason. "I am angry and scared right now. I feel dirty and violated, even though he barely touched me. And the ONLY thing I feel towards you is grateful. You saved me today. You saved me when you tackled Locke. You saved me when you cut me down. And you saved me when you gave me your shirt. So while I _understand_ the guilt and beating yourself up – I've done it myself often enough – I need you to try and let it go. Forgive yourself for having limitations. And be proud of what you did today." Nathan was spared from having to respond by a knock at the front door, and he fairly jumped up to pay the pizza guy.

Audrey, after her outburst, had grown quiet, and took advantage of the arrival of food to occupy her mouth. They both took a moment to enjoy the shift from serious conversation to 'pass the napkins' and 'where'd my beer go?' and other simple, concrete things. When finally their bellies were full, both grew quiet again, and for a while, the silence was comfortable between them. Audrey's thoughts began to whirl and tumble, and she hardly noticed as she curled tighter and tighter into herself.

Nathan did notice, though, and was at a loss for what to say to her, do for her. Part of him wanted to pull her close, but he figured that today, it would probably not be the best choice. He wished there were _simple_ words, something _just right _to say to help her. But how do you help a helper? Someone who solves other people's problems and denies needing help themselves?

The answer was obvious, and Nathan mentally kicked himself for taking so long to figure it out, when Audrey had already illustrated it for him not an hour ago: You remind them that they helped.

"Thank you," he said, meeting her gaze as she lifted her head.

"For what?" she asked, seeming puzzled.

"For yelling at me. Reminding me that I don't have the monopoly on responsibility. For pulling me out of my own little pity party before I became completely morose."

"Wait, you _didn't _get to that point?" He tossed a throw-pillow at her.

"Seriously, I've been carrying that guilt around a long time… and it's still there, and will be for a while yet. But I think it helped to hear someone else saying that I need to shut up and let it go."

"Any time you need someone to tell you to shut up, I'm here for you."

"I know. And I'm sure I'm going to need it." He paused and stared off into space for a moment. "You think we're gonna be ok?"

"Oh, I think the both of us are far beyond fixing, and were long before today," she said with a sigh, stretching out her arms and legs (Nathan noticed with some pride). "But for tonight, I think we need to play some Scrabble, drink some beer, and stay up until we're too tired to dream when we finally do pass out."

"Scrabble?"

"Or whatever you've got. You _golf_, Wuornos, don't tell me board games aren't exciting and entertaining enough."

"It's not that, I just wasn't expecting it, is all."

"Well, I guess I've still got surprises left after all. Now go dig something out before I finish your beer." Nathan chuckled and went in search of his board games.

They stayed up late, drinking beer, playing Scrabble, and challenging each other's creative vocabulary. Nathan carried Audrey to the guest room when she passed out on the sofa, and didn't bother cleaning up before he flopped down into his own bed. Neither of them dreamed that night.

* * *

><p>Two days later, they had rested, recuperated, and dealt with the pile of paperwork that had cropped up around the events of Saturday. Nathan's mood was better, but every time he was within eyeshot of Locke, the anger bubbled up inside him and he had to excuse himself. It was going to take him a long time to forgive himself. He was never going to forgive Locke. Right now, thought, both he and Audrey were determinedly <em>not <em>thinking about 'what if things had gone differently,' as they stood outside the station house, watching Locke get loaded into a vehicle.

"Hey, at least it's over," Audrey said, trying to distract Nathan (and herself) a bit.

"I wish I'd killed him," Nathan said quietly, dangerously, as they watched the transport vehicle pull away, bringing Darren Locke back to prison for a very long time.

"No you don't," Audrey told him. "Maybe part of you wishes that had been the only way, and part of me is right there with you; but you're not a killer Nathan. Even when the bastard deserves it, you're a better man than that."

"I'm not so sure."

"Well I am. And if I'm gonna keep trusting you, then you're gonna have to trust me too. So trust me on this one. You are not a killer. You are not Max Hansen." Nathan turned and looked at her, confused surprise across his features.

"That's not what I –"

"I know, but I still think you needed to hear it." Audrey held his gaze until he cracked one of his half-smiles and shook his head.

"I'll let you have this one, Parker."

"Oh thanks, you're so generous. In fact, you are SO generous that you're buyin the pancakes. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Thirty miles outside of Haven, the vehicle Darren Locke was riding in the back of suddenly slammed to a halt. The driver and guard looked at each other in surprise, when suddenly the car up and rolled over on its side into the trees along the road. Both of the men in front were knocked unconscious. Darren Locke just smiled, as dark shapes came out from the trees and wrenched open his door, hauling him out by the elbows. The Reverend Ed Driscoll approached him, looking very solemn.<p>

"About time," Locke growled. The Rev simply considered him as though pondering how to get very sticky dog shit off of his shoe.

"You didn't get the job done. Audrey Parker hasn't left Haven, and if anything, she and Wuornos have reinforced their loyalty to each other. You were supposed to tear them apart." Locke narrowed his eyes.

"_You_ were the one who insisted I grab them both. I told you, one can be controlled, but two? Too many unknowns, can't watch them both! But you insisted that Wuornos needed to watch, that it would break him more _'effectively'_ than if I just left the blonde on his doorstep. My plan would have worked, but you wanted it done _your_ way!"

"The fact remains that you failed. You were provided all the tools you needed, and you failed. Just be thankful that it was only me who came out to meet you here. A few folks higher up the food chain were sorely tempted to come out here themselves." Driscoll waved at the two men still holding Locke's elbows as he turned to walk away. "Make sure the body is never found," he called over his shoulder. "At least it will be of some use to have Nathan Wuornos worrying that he's escaped and can come back some day." The Rev ignored the sounds of yelling and screaming that chased him as he left. He was angry that things had not gone to plan, and his anger was always sated when sinners got what they deserved.

*fin*

**End Notes: Though I am fiercely dedicated to canon, I cannot be certain that, when season 2 airs, this will not become AU. Otherwise, I hope you appreciated this dark little corner of Haven. If you've read this, please take a moment to review; either to feed my muse, or tell me I should quit now before I break the internet. Feedback is ALWAYS appreciated, and it only takes a moment. **


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